Chapter 1
It was a normal morning for Elena as she felt the sun shining on her face through the window, something she had sorely missed during her time in the amulet, and she yawned as she sat up, stretching her arms, then looked out the window at the beautiful sight of Avalor. She sat there for a few moments, mesmerised by the beauty of the town shining in the morning son, then yawned again and smiled as she heard footsteps running to her door. She knew who that was, her sister, ready for their morning ritual of greeting her everyday.
"Elena!" Isabel said as she ran into her older sisters bedroom, all woken up and dressed. "What's taking you so long?"
Elena laughed as her sister jumped onto her bed. "Remember how I was stuck in that amulet for all that time?" Her sister nodded. "Well, I still have to recover from the time in it, namely, getting enough rest. But I'm still going to have a long time until I'm fully back to normal."
"It's already been nearly a year." Isabell sighed, "What's taking so long?"
"Maybe the fact I was never a morning person." Elena teased. "Now go on, I need to get up and dressed.I have a meeting with the grand council to get to."
"Alright." She gave her big sister a hug. "I'll see you at breakfast."
Elena chuckled as her sister left the room. Even during her time in the amulet some things never changed, like Isabel. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, then grabbed her red dress that she would normally wear and put it on. She looked at her scepter as a light flashed through the room, but it was a purple light. As quickly as it had come, it vanished. She shook her head, wondering what on earth it meant. "Zuzo? Zuzo?"
"Yes, your highness?" The spirit fox appeared instantly. "Have you made more damage with your scepter again?"
"No." She replied. "But its acting weird. It momentarily shined a purple light."
"Purple?" Zuzo floated over to it, and the scepter flashed again. "Hmm."
"What does it mean?"
"I don't know." He disappeared, then reappeared behind her shoulder. "It's almost as if someone with magical powers needs help. Urgently."
"Who?"
"That's what i don't know. Let me check what's going on in the spirit world." He disappeared in a flash.
Elena shook her head as she waited for the fox to reappear and picked up her scepter. It had stopped glowing, but it felt warm. "What are you trying to tell me?" She asked the jewel. "Is Sophia in trouble?"
"It's not Sophia." The fox said as he reappeared. "But i can't find out who it is."
"If we don't know who it is, how can we help them?" Elena asked earnestly. "Is there anything else you can find out?"
"I can try." The fox crossed his paws. "The fact that the light was purple, means its a good person, and means its important. It also means that time is running out, if help doesn't go to the person, it will cause catastrophic effects. I'll go see what i can figure out, you go and do whatever you have to do, it could take awhile. Also, ask Mateo about it. Well, I'm off."
"Hurry Zuzo." Elena insisted as the fox disappeared once again. Something in her didn't feel right, like something in her was calling to her. She put her scepter into the holster on her side and walked out into the palace and headed for the dining room. "Sorry I'm late."
"That's alright Elena." Luisa assured. "Did you have a hard night?"
"No, its my scepter."
"What's going on with it now?" Esteban asked with raised eyebrows. "I hope your not planning on burning anymore footstools in the castle."
"Not in the near future." She assured. "But I want us to get breakfast finished as quickly as possible so we can get the council sesion finished. I have a feeling I wont be around for the rest of the day."
"If you have to go, can I come too?" Isabell asked. "You always have all the adventures."
"We'll see Isabel." Elena replied. "I'm not sure, it depends on if there is any danger involved."
"But danger doesn't scare me."
"I know, but it should."
"Your sister is right." Francisco agreed. "When your older Isabel we will feel more comfortable in letting you go with Elena, but for now, you still have your lessons to get too."
"I guess so." Isabel said a little disappointed. "Promise you'll tell me about it if i can't come."
"I promise." She looked up to see Gabe running in. "Gabe?"
"This just came, Princess Elena." He stopped beside her and handed her a piece of paper. "I thought you should know at once."
Elena unrolled the paper, and looked at it. It was a wanted poster. "Um, guys, can we have that council meeting now? Is Naomi here yet?"
"You betcha." Naomi ran around the corner. "What's happening?"
"We might have a serious problem on our hands." She stood up. "Gabe, I want you to come join us for this meeting. Isabel, you stay here."
"Awe, but Elena." Isabel complained. "YOu havent even finished your breakfast."
"Breakfast will have to wait." She got up and led the way into the council room, then took her place at the table and put the notice down where everyone could see it. "There is a wanted criminal at large, and King Roland wanted to warn us. This man has stolen three of his ships, and he thinks he could be headed our way, and he also has done numerous other things. There's a thousand dollar bounty on his head." She passed the picture around. "If King Roland is right, he might be coming here to make trouble too."
Esteban grabbed the paper and gasped as he saw the picture. "I know that man."
Every head turned to look at him. "How?" Naomie asked.
"He was one of Shuriki's right hand men during her rule, till he got exiled when he stole from the treasury. I never wanted to see that man again, he is one nasty piece of work."
"Anyone that worked with that woman was." Naomie said without thinking, then suddenly realized what she had said. "Except you, Esteban."
"What are we going to do about it?" Luisa asked. "If he already has been here before, he might come back and try to wreak havoc."
Gabe put his hand up, asking to talk since he wasn't a member of the council. He waited until they had given him permission to speak. "With all due respect, I don't think he would come here if he knew what was good for him. He is hated around here, and there would be alot of people who wouldn't think twice about getting rid of him permanently. Even though, I do recommend we increase security around Avalor, just to be on the safe side."
"I agree." Elena stated. "All in favor of increasing security, raise your right hand." The vote was unanimous, in favor of the decision. "Thank you Gabe, you are dismissed. Please put the soldiers on alert, and also tell Mateo that I need to speak to him as soon as we are finished."
"Yes, Princess Elena." He bowed out of respect, then left the room.
"What else is on the agenda?" Naomie asked after Gabe had left.
Elena looked at her list. "Repairs to the dock that needs to be voted on, a complaint about the noise of chickens in the town." She agreed as they chuckled. "A couple of roads that they want fixed, and the upcoming festival plans."
"I don't think we can do anything about chickens." Esteben rolled his eyes. "Let's just attended to the other matters, and get this over with."
Primara, the beautiful white Pegicon nudged the still form of their human protector, Amelia. She was pale, lying on the ground in the long grass, with all the Pegicorn's standing around. The girl was covered in wounds, her dress torn and bloody, the result of being tortured. The Pegicorn clan had rescued her from the hands of the evil watch that had taken her, but they knew that what she had done to their Guardian was something that they couldn't solve, it was something out of the scope of their magic. She nudged the girl again with her muzzle, then gently pulled the amulet on the girls neck over the girls heart. The color of the amulet was going dark, as the life was being drained out of the child. She raised her head, as she got no response from Amelia and looked at the other Pegicorns gathered in a circle around the girl, hidden away up high in the mountains of Avalor, where they had thought they would be safe. She silenced the chatter of the herd with a shake of her mane, as their female leader they had to listen to her. Her word was law. "If we don't do something soon, she is going to die. There is no other way about it."
"But where will that leave us?" Boaz, the black stallion standing across from her asked. "If our protector dies, and we haven't found another, our entire clan will be wiped out."
"Unless we either can get her help, or find another girl to carry on the tradition before, heaven forbid, she dies, then yes, we will all die." Primara looked at the other Pegicons gathered, as they all realised the extent of the situation. Why oh why had she left Amelia's side? She should have been there to protect her from the person that had hurt her. She felt that it was her fault, and now the fate of Avalor was on her whiters. "We must find a way to help her, but our magic isn't enough. We need help."
"What about the princess?" Astria, the sorrel foal asked. "I have seen how she helps animals and humans in need, during my trips through the forest."
The Pegicorn's looked at her. "And when have you left the shelter of our secret valley, young one?"
Astria hung her head. "I would sneak off and take trips around to see the world outside. I saw her and her friends once help a trapped deer, and another time, a trapped Jacquin. I know i wasn't supposed to leave, but if my knowledge of her helps to save Amelia, then I will accept any punishment you decide to give me." She bowed in respect to Primara, their leader. "But this princess is our only hope."
"How do you know she can help?"
"Because she carried the Scepter of Light with her." The foal replied, ignoring the gasps from the others. "I saw it, and she has the power to use it to. I saw her use it to free her friend from a trap the same person set that hurt Amelia."
Primara gasped in amazement. "The Scepter of Light, why no one has been able to use that in years, even longer than i can remember. If i can channel to it, I might be able to get help, or get her to come." She put her muzzle to the stone amulet the lead mare wore hung around her neck, sending out a help call to the scepter. After a few minutes, she took it away. "I could feel it get picked up, but I don't think the Princess knows what it means." She tried again, but didn't get the response desired. "I have to go and find her and bring her back. She is our last hope."
"Can't you take Amelia to her?" Astria asked. "It would save time."
"There is no way she would be able to hold on." Primara nudged the girl, only to get no response from her. "She's too weak, she doesn't even have the strength left to respond. She used what little she had yesterday to ride me back her. I thought our magic would have been enough, but its not. We have to go. We have no other chance, to same her and ourselves.'
"It's too dangerous." Boaz insisted. "What if the other humans try and catch us? That would put us in a worse situation."
"We can't get into a worse situation." Primara said as she looked at the black stallion. "Without her help, Amelia will die. We absolutely have no choice, we must go." She looked at the group. "Boaz, Lelia, Marcello, come with me. The rest of you stay and watch over her. We will be back as soon as we can." She took five long galloping strides, then flapped her strong wings and took off into the sky, the other three pegicons right beside her, on this quest of life or death.
'Do you know what's caused my scepter to glow purple?' Elena asked as the group of her, Gabe, Naomie, Isabella and Mateao gathered on one of the castles balconies after the council meeting later that morning. 'Have any of your books mentioned about it doing that?'
Mateao handed her one of his books, then gave some others to the others around them. 'I haven't found anything yet, but the more eyes looking, the better. Especially if Zuzo is right about running out of time.' He whispered the last sentence to Elena. 'If we don't find what or why the scepter did what it did, then we could be in for a lot of trouble.'
'Here.' Naomie suddenly exclaimed as she showed them all the page she was looking at, with a photo of the scepter glowing purple. 'Apparently, the Scepter of Light is connected to the Amulet of Life and the Amulet of the Pegicorn, other Meruvian artifacts. It says here that the guardian of the pegicorns, also known as Protector would wear the Amulet of Life, and the lead Pegicorn would wear the other, so they were able to communicate over distance. In times of trouble, they could ask for help from the person that had the Scepter of Light. But it also says only the chosen guardian can active the powers it holds. If that's true, how can it be possible that the scepter reacted to it? There is no way there is a guardian left to activate it. '
'Your right. It can't be possible.' Mateao took the book so he could read it. 'Pegicorns died out with the meruvians, just like their special horses, the peruvians. They were descendants of the pegicorns.'
'This doesn't make any sense then.' Alena said as she held her scepter up. 'Could it be that an evil person found the amulet?'
'It's can't happen.' Isabella got in on the conversation. 'This book says that the amulet choses who it works for, and its only the guardian. The other possibility is that they aren't as extinct as we once thought.'
Gabe chuckled. 'There are no pegicons left alive Isa, they could never have survived this long.'
'Or maybe they could.' Mateao looked in a different book. 'The only way the clan as they call it could die out is if the guardian was killed. The life of the clan depends on the power of the guardian to keep them alive. As strange as it sounds, the pegicorns are tied to the guardian by an invisible force. If it is broken by the guardian dying, it would wipe out the entire clan. If this is true.' He looked up at them. 'Then the guardian is the one who summoned your help. The only reason that your scepter would act like that is from her signal. No one else could use it, there are still Pegicons around, we just need to find them so we can find our why they summoned you.'
Elena looked at him with amazement. "We have to do something, if that is the case. There isn't much time left."
"Your right." He agreed.
"But how are we going to find them?" Naomi asked. 'If no one has seen them since the Meruvians, how are we supposed to know where to look?'
"Do you have a spell that can track them down?" Isabel asked. "Elana's scepter could lead us to the guardian."
"I wish i did, but there isn't a way. The amulet is protect incase the scepter of light fell in to wrong hands, so they couldn't hurt the pegicorns." He flipped through another book. "I don't think we can find them, they hide far away from civilization.'
'It would be high up in the mountains, where no one would go.' Gabe mussed as he rubbed his chin. 'But its pretty well completely inhibited around here. I don't think they would be able to have somewhere to hide, unless its really, really far out.'
"Did someone mention pegicons?" Skylar asked as he, Luna and Migs landed on the balcony. "They're extinct."
"Or maybe not." Elena said as her septer glowed again,this time longer, as if it were getting even more urgent. "There is a signal coming from their leader for help, but we don't know where they're hidden, so we can go and help them." She looked at the Jacquins. "Maybe-"
"Don't look at us." Luna cut her off. "We have no idea, and anyway, even if we did, they would never want to be around you. They are scared of humans, since humans have always hunted them. If there was any left, they wouldn't be able to be found."
"How can we help then?" Isabel asked. "We can't just pretend we didn't get the signal. If they have made contact with Elena, it must be important. Its never done this before. They wouldn't call unless it was a dire emergency."
"Your right, Isabel." Mateao looked at his book on the Pegicorns. "If the guardian dies, then there will be a hundred year drought, and a hundred years of darkness" He glanced at the group as they realized what this would mean for Avalon. "We have to find them."
"Agreed." Elena patted Skylar. "Would you help us search, and get the other Jacquins to help to find the Pegicorns?"
"Why sure, Princess Elena." Skylight replied, then he saw something flying down to meet them behind her and suddenly realized what they were. "But you won't have to, Look."
The group turned around and looked up to where Skylar had his nose pointed, gasping as they say what he was looking at.
"Are they what I think they are?" Naomie asked as they approached. "They are beautiful."
"Pegicorns." Isabell whispered as they flew down towards them, all of them spellbound in their beauty. 'I never thought I would see them. They are more gorgeous then my wildest dreams.'
"How did they know to come here?" Elena asked as the pegicons began their final descent, then landed lightly on the balconies infront of the group.
Primara folded her wings as she landed, then looked at the group of people. She saw one of the girls holding the scepter she knew was of the light and was about to talk when the girl began to walk closer.
"Hello" Elena said softly as she began to walk towards the black one, her hand outstreatched to pat him but Gabe stopped her.
"Be careful Elena, they can be vicious. They don't know who you are, and we don't know what they could be cabbage of" His hand rested on his sword as the black one snorted and pawed the ground, just incase the stallion went to attack the princess. "Don't get to close."
'I wouldn't, if you know what is good for you.' Primara whinned so the humans couldn't understand what she had said to him as she gave him a nip on the should to put him in line for his actions. 'We need their help, don't blow it.' She then stepped forward towards the princess, then began to speak human"I am Primara, the leader of the Pegicon clan of Avalor, and what is left of our kind. This is Boaz, Lelia and Marcello. I was the one who channeled you through your scepter. The Scepter of Light. Who am I approaching?"
Elena kept her distance like Gabe had told her, but could see that the Pegicon mare wasn't going to hurt her, or let the others hurt her, so she slowly walked closer till she could almost touch the mare. "I am Elena, crown princess of Avalor. This is Naomi, Gabe, Mateao and my sister Isabel, and the Jacquins are Skylar, Luna and Migs.' She studied the more carefully. 'Please excuse our surprise at seeing and hearing you extraordinary being. We didn't think there was any of your kind left."
"Its quite alright. Its not every day a group of Pegicorns land on your balcony.' She looked at Naomi. Something was drawing her to her, almost like the Amulet was connected with her in a way. She came back to reality and looked at Elena. 'As for us being left, well, we won't be soon, if we don't get help." Primara eyed the Jacquins carefully. She had never seen them before and wasn't sure if they were a danger to them on not, but it was a chance they had to take. "I'll be straight and to the point. Our guardian is in dire trouble. She is going to die, and if that happens-"
"You all die too." Isabell said as she approached the mare. "We know. We have been trying to find a way to help you ever since we figured out that it was from your amulet that caused Elena's scepter to shine purple."
"What is the matter, Primara? We will do our best to help." Elena replied. "What is wrong?"
"That's the thing." Primara hung her head. "We don't know what is wrong with our guardian. She was captured by an evil human and we had to rescue her back. She has been getting weaker and weaker since we rescued her, and we don't know what more we can do to save her. This is why we need your help."
Elena nodded. "Of course we will help you, as much as we can Primara to help her. Where is she? "
"We will take you to her." She felt the amulet around her neck beginning to drain of power. "We have to hurry, she's getting worse. Jump on."
"Right." Elena climbed up on the white mare, then looked at Naomi. "Naomi, you ride with me-"
"What about me Elena?" Isabel interupted as she jumped on foot to foot. "Please, can I come too?"
Elena looked at Gabe, then at Isabel. "What do you think, Gabe?"
"It probably would be alright." The guard assured. "I'll keep an eye on her."
"Alright." Elena gave in. "Gabe, you follow with Isabel on Skylar, Mateao, you take Luna. Lets go." They quickly got onto their assigned animals, then they took off, following Primara back to the Secret Valley. "I hope we will get there in time." She remarked as they left the place behind, and soon the main town too.
"I hope so as well." Primara replied as they flew through the clouds. "The fate of Avalon depends on it." She flapped her wings harder as they gained altitude. "We need a miracle."
"You can say that again." Boaz agreed as he flew next to the mare, anxiously watching the surrounding sky and ground. "And if anyone follows us, it won't end well if they find the clan."
"We have to make sure that no one is following us Elena." Naomie said, her arms around Elena's stomach so she did not fall off the Pegicorn. "We could be putting them in danger by going to their secret hiding place."
"Your right." She looked at Gabe and her sister. "You two need to keep an eye out, make sure that no one is following us."
"On it." He nudged the Jacquar and they flew to the back, watching the ground for any sign they were being tracked.
"We're almost there." Primara said a few minutes later, then she began to glide down, the others following into a gap between the mountains she had opened with the use of the Guardian Amulet, closing like a door behind them. "Down here."
Elena and Naomi jumped off the Pegicorn as Primara came to a stop on the ground next to the girl. "Oh my gosh." She looked at the child, then at Naomi. "What do we do?"
The girl lay on the ground, her dress torn and dirty, the ground around her soaked with her blood. Her chest barely rose and fell with each laboured breath she took, her body drenched in sweat from a terrible fever.
Naomi ran over and knelt by the child as the Pegicorns stood back. She looked at the girl, trying to figure out where to start, racking her brain to remember what her mom had taught her about first aid. She remembered that Isabel and the two boys were right behind her and Elena, and quickly covered the girl up with her coat, so that Isabel couldn't see how bad she was hurt. She picked the girls arm up, feeling for a pulse. "She's alive, barely." She remarked to Elena as she placed her hand on the girls torn for head and gently shook the girl, trying to get a response. There was none. She then gently lifted the girls eyeslids, seeing that the whites of her eyes had changed colors, and were rolled back, typical of being in a coma. "She's been poisoned, but i don't know by what."
Mateo, Gabe and Isabel ran over after their Jacquins had landed, a little ways away from the Pegicorns and the girl. "How is she?" Isabel asked with concern
"Not good." Elena looked at Mateo. "Can you do anything?"
"I don't know." He knelt down by her and Naomi and looked at the girl. 'What's happened to her?'
"She's been poisoned. She's in a coma, a result of whatever poisoned her.' Naomi offered her information as she tore strips off her dress to bind the girls wounds. "But I don't know by what."
"What do we do now?" Gabe asked as he looked around, noticing the sky beginning to turn grey with a storm. 'It's not going to do us or her any good if we get caught in that.'
"We take her back to the palace." Mateo replied as he placed his tamborita on the girls heart, sending power to her heart to help her stabilize for the trip, but that was all he could do. "As quick as possible. This spell won't last long, and I don't have my books with me to know what to do.' He looked at the sky. 'And the quicker we get back, the better.'
Primara looked at the concerned Pegicorns, then at the girl, her heart torn in two. Her duty was to the herd, but also to protect Amelia. In a moment, she made her desicion. She raised her head and the herd went silent as the two girls helped Amelia. "Attention. Till I return, I am leaving Boaz in charge. His word is law." She nudged the Amulet, and it turned into two, the other half going around the black stallion's chest, tied on by the same chain she had on here. "I want you all to stay here. No one is to follow, and I mean it." She looked at the Pegicorns. 'Is that understood?' She saw them nod unanimously.
'Right.' Elena said as she and Naomi finished looking after the girl the best they could. 'We need to get back. Who is going to carry her?'
Primara turned around. "Naomi will.' She walked over to Naomi, feeling the girl instantly bonding with Amelia. Now she knew why the Amulet had drawn her to her. 'I can feel that you have bonded with Amelia, maybe that might help keep her going till we get to the castle. The Amulet of Life has chosen you Naomi to help. Now I know why."
"I can feel it." She replied as she looked at the girl, then at the white mare. "Alright."
"Are you sure?" Gabe asked the mare. "I am stronger, I could carry her."
Primara shook her head. "No, the Amulet has chosen. Naomi will carry her, the Amulet will give her the strength. Touch the Amulet on my chest Naomi."
Naomi did as she was told and placed her hand on the Amulet, feeling a power enter her. "Wow."
"That's long enough, pick her up now."
Naomi drew her hand away, then picked the girl up as easily as she had been a feather. As she turned back to the mare, the mare had bowed down to let her on. "That makes it easier."
Gabe gave her a hand to get onto the Pegicorn, then looked at Elena. "I hope this is right."
"It is." Elena said as she got onto Migs, then she felt her scepter feel warm, as if reassuring her. "The scepter says so."
"Right, if everyone is ready, we better get going." Primara gave a downward thrust of her wings as the wind began to pick up, and took off, the Jacquins right behind.
'I don't mean to concern anyone, but we really need to get moving.' Skylar said as the clouds rolled in closer, his fur static from the electricity. 'I really hate flying in storms.'
'So do I.' Isabel replied as she felt Gabe hold on to her reasuringly. ' It wont be good if we get struck by lightning.'
'No argument there.' Luna agreed. 'I can feel it in the air.'
Primara looked around and saw the storm getting closer. 'I know a shortcut. Follow me.' She dipped down beneath the clouds as they flew back towards the palace, she could feel the Amulet power draining again. "How is she Naomi?"
"Getting worse again." She looked down at the girl in her arms. "Her breathing is getting weaker. Primara, i don't think we are going to make it back to the palace in time." Naomi looked at the storm, trembling as thunder rumbled, then there was a blinding flash of light. She cried out in fear as the mare dodged the bolt of lightning that almost struck them. '"We aren't going to make it!
"Oh, we will. Hold on, everyone." Primara put her muzzle to the Amulet again. "Speed." She commanded, then sent the power to the Jacquins as well, so they could keep up.
Elena had her breath taken away as they began to fly faster then they had even flown, going so fast that she couldn't even see, the wind whipping her hair behind her, the clouds getting thicker and more static by the moment "That was amazing, Primara."
"That's one word for it." Luna agreed, then dodged another bolt of lightning, feeling the terror and fear they were all experocing. 'I call it terrifying.'
Another clap of thunder rolled, then the rain began to pour. Mateo put his head down and held onto Migs as they dashed through the clouds. He felt his hair standing on end, then as he looked up, he saw a bolt of lightning heading straight for Primara, Naomi and the girl. 'Primara!'
Primara heard the magicians scream, and looked up. She saw the lightning and tired to get out of the way, but she wasnt quick enough. With a scream of terror, the lightning connected with her, her Amult sending out its own flash of power to protect her and the two girls on her from the electricity, then everything went black as they began to fall.
'Naomi!' Elena screamed as her friend and the Pegicon began to plummet to the ocean they were flying over, then she nudged Skylar after them. 'We have to save them Skylar!'
'On it princessa.' Skylar spiraled down after them, trying to catch up to the falling Pegicon. 'Luna! Migs! I need help!
The two Jacquins were already following them, dodging more bolts of lightning as they flew down. 'We have to slow them down!' Migs yelled over the thunder. 'Mateo, do something!'
'I'm trying!' The wizard yelled back as he tried another spell, to no avail. 'Nothing is working!'
Elena looked up at how far the other Jacquins were behind, then back down at the falling Pegicon, they rapidly approaching the ocean. Suddenly she had an idea. She grabbed out her scepter. 'We need to get closer Skylar! We have to stop them!'
'Right!' Skylar roared as he put everything he had into catching up with Primara, gaining as much ground as he could, but still they couldn't get under them to stop the fall.
Elena took a deep breath in as she pointed her scepter, focusing on all the love she had for her friend, then she closed her eyes, took another breath and opened her eyes. If only she could wake up the unconchess Pegicon, the Pegicon could stop the fall. It was the only thing she could think of to do. 'Awaken!'
Primara suddenly was jolted out of her slumber, as was Naomi on her back, still holding onto the girl only through the power of the Amulet. 'What -?' Her question went unfinished as she saw the rolling ocean getting closer to her. 'Woah woah woah!'
Naomi screamed, then held on tight to the Pegicon. 'Please stop, please stop, please stop!'
'Hargh!' The Pegicon extended her wings with the strength she had left, then put her muzzle on the Amult. 'Slow!'
Elena gave a sigh of relief as she saw the Pegicon stop its spinning descent and come to a stop just above the water, feeling Skylar slow down too as they flew up to Naomi and the Pegicon. 'Are you alright?'
'What happened?' Naomi asked shakly as she looked up to see her friends stopping around her, her body trembling from fear, but still she clung onto the girl.'What's going on?'
'You were struck by lightning.' Elena replied gently as she placed her hand on Naomis shoulder. 'Primaras Amult protected you from the bolt.' She looked around at the storm. 'We have to get back to the castle, the storm is getting worse.'
'Agreed.' Primara said weakly, looking around. 'But which way is it?'
The group looked around, but all they could see was the blinding rain, and the roaring waves underneath them, then Skylar pricked up his ears. 'Can you hear that?'
'The palace bells!' Isabel exclamed excitidly. 'I can here them.'
'I can too.' Primara flapped her wings. 'Follow me, and stay close. We can't risk flying any higher again.' She put her head down, breaking the wind for the Jacquins. 'Hold on Naomi.'
'I'm trying.' Naomi replied as she held onto the Pegicon's mane with one hand, her legs griped tightly around the mare's stomach. "This wind is so strong!"
"I know." Gabe replied, flying Luna close to the Pegicorn, holding onto a scared Isabel. "Just hang on, we're almost there."
Elena looked around as they flew underneath the clouds, their clothes dreanched from the rain. "The bells are getting louder, we're almost there."
"I can see the palace!" Isabel said excitedly as the clouds broke for a moment, then they began to fly up to it. "I can't wait to change out of this wet dress."
"I can't wait to get out of this rain." Mateo agreed as Migs followed them up to the palace balcony, then landed. "We've had too many close calls today."
"Elena! Where have you been?" Luisa asked as she opened the doors for them and the animals to come into the throne room. "We've been worried sick about you guys."
"I'll explain later." Elena replied as she got off Skylar. "Right now, we have this girl to save." She ran over to the Pegicorn and Naomi passed her the girl, then fell off the mare from exhuastion. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Naomi assured as Lusia helped her to her feet. "Being struck by lightning isnt a walk in the park."
"What?" Lusia asked in astonishment. "Struck by lightning?"
"Never mind, we'll tell you later." Elena looked at the others. "Go and get some dry clothes on, then meet me in my room. I'll take the girl there. Naomi, come with me, I can get you something to wear, and you can put the girl on my bed. Abuela, I'll need your help too.'
"Certainly." Lusia followed Naomi and Elena up the stairs, hurridly as they raced against the clock to help the child. 'What do you want me to do?'
Elena placed the drenched girl on her bed, her clothes dripping water on the floor, but she wasnt concerned about that. 'We need to get her out of these wet clothes and dried. Hopefully by then Mateo will have an idea of what we can do to cure her.' She turned to Naomi. 'Change into anything you want Naomi, then grab something for Amelia please.'
'You got it Elena.' Naomi quickly went to the cupboard and threw Elena some towels and a dress for the girl and herself too. 'I'll go dry myself off.'
'Thanks Naomi.' Elena caught the items, then placed them on the bed next to the girl. 'Abuela, can you help me change her?'
'Sure.' Luisa replied as she began to unwrap the coat Naomi had wrapped the girl in as Elena and Naomi quickly changed. As she threw the bloodied coat aside, she could see the torn dress and the wounds the girl had. 'Poor child. ' She murmered as she began to unbutton what was left of the girls dress, reavealing the gashes and scars of previously healed wounds. "How on earth could she have gotten into this state?" She asked Elena as the girl came out from behind the dressing partion. "What happened to her?"
'I have no idea.' Elena replied as she walked over to them. 'We found her like this up high in the mountains in the middle of no where.'
'I'd like to know how she got in this state too.' Naomi agreed as she walked out weakly from the walk in wardrobe in dry clothes and sank onto a chair beside the bed. 'I'd like to know who did this to her aswell. Whoever did it doesnt deserve to breath.'
"I can answer both those questions." Primara said as she trotted into the room, her wings tucked up against her so she didn't hit anything. "She was captured and tortured by witch. We rescued her back yesterday, but she's been getting steadily worse. Nothing we tried helped." She looked at Luisa as she nudged the girls cheek with her muzzle. 'I'm sorry I put your grandaughter and the others in danger, but we have no one else W could turn to.' She glanced down at Amelia lovingly. 'It's a wonder she wasn't killed outright, but the Amulet of Life stops her from dying from injuries caused by outside causes, but it doesn't protect against inside causes. They must have given her something to eat that caused this, or taken the amulet while they where abusing her.'
Elena looked at the Pegicorn. Of course, that was why they had survived the lightning strike. Her Amulet protected them all. She turned back to the girl as she helped Luisa put a clean dress on her 'Do you know how we can find out the cause of what posiosoned her Primara? Would it be possible that the Amulet could help in some way?'
'I don't know.' She pricked up her ears, heading people running, then looked releaved as Isabel and Mateao ran in, stopping beside the girls bed. 'Have you found anything that could help her?'
'Maybe, but I need to stabalise her first, to give us more time. The posion is taking over her body. I don't know if we can stop it, but we can try.' Mateao put his spell book on the bed and opened it, then looked at the girl. He could see how pale, and weak she looked and gently lifted her arm to get a pulse. It confirmed what he first had thought, the posion was stopping her heart. He put her hand down then placed his tamborita on the girls chest, then said his spell. 'This will give us a bit more time to find out what she was poisioned by, but it is only temporary. There is a dozen things they could have given her, all with the same symptyms, but all with different cures.' He sighed. 'If we don't know what the poision was, how can we stop it?'
Primara looked the wizard, then at the scepter that was on Elenas side, feeling her Amulet starting to form an idea. 'I know how we can find out what the poision was.' She saw the group look at her questionly and she continued. 'Alena, stand beside Amelia, and place your scepter on her forehead. Naomi, hold her Amulet next to it, and repeat after me. I wish to see-'
'I wish to see.' Naomi and Elena repeated together.
'What poision this maybe.'
'What poision this maybe.' They repeated the command together.
Suddenly there was a flash of light from the Amulet as it enlarged to the size of a book, with the picture of the plant they had posisned the girl with. It was Deadly Nightshade.
'Oh wow.' Isabel exclaimed. 'I've never seen anything do that before. What is that plant?'
'Deadly Nightshade' Mateo replied as he looked at the Amulet, then at his book. 'Of course, it would be the best and first choice of any person wanting to posion another. The posion works by slowing the system down till a person dies from lack of oxygen.' He flips another page, hurridly trying to find an answer. 'There has to be something here we can use to cure her.' He flicked through another few pages as the others gathered there watched him, Elena trying to figure out how on earth whoever had posioned her had gotten their hands onDeadly Nightshade.
Naomi turned to the girl, feeling something inside her that was pulling her to the girl in an emotinal way. 'She's getting weaker Mateo. Shes barely breathing.'
'I know.' He replied as he frantically flew through the book till he found the page they need 'Here.' He looked at the Pegicorn, the Pegicorn walking over to him and looking at the book. ' The ledgend here says that when The Scepter of Light is combined with the Amulet of life, the Amulet of Pegicorn and the magic of a Pegicorn, it can reverse the effects of any type of posion.' He glanced up at the group. 'Its worth a shot. We have to try it.'
'What do you want me to do?' Elena asked for guidence. 'I've never used my scepter for healing before.'
'I heard of this ledgend before.' The Pegicorn looked at Mateo. 'It was passed down through our leaders about the power of healing. Whenever the person who had the scepter had to do healing, the Amulet of life gives you power to do it.' She replied as she walked back over to the bed, then slipped her Amulet off over her head, placing her horn on the girl next to the objects. 'I've been told that the items all need to be touching for this to work.'
Mateo nodded as he looked at them, then turned to his book for guidance as to what they needed to do. 'Elena, you need to say the spell since you are the one with the scepter. You need to concentrate and say 'Reverse and heal'
Elena nodded as she held the scepter, then closed her eyes, concentrating her powers into her scepter. 'Reverse and heal!'
At the words, the three objects and Primara's horn began to glow, blue light flowing into the girl, absorbing the poison away and healing her body from the Deadly Nightshade. The blue light receded as the poision was vanquished, then the objects went back to normal, holding the posion inside to destroy it.
Naomi looked at the girl in amazement after she had been healed by the spell as the blue light faded. Her fever was almost gone, her breathing and heart rate was back to normal, her wounds nearly cometely healed and she was sleeping peacefully. 'Wow.'
'I'd say.' Elena said as she began to feel dizzy from the amount of power she had to use, and she grabbed for something to stop her falling.
'Elena!' Luisa exclaimed as she caught her grandaughter. 'Are you alright?'
'I'm fine.' She said unconvincingly as she began to see black. 'I just need to rest.'
'I've heard that before.' Isabel said worryidly. 'Last time you used your powers like that, you were asleep for two days.'
'Well, not on my watch you wont be.' Primara exclaimed as she slipped the Amulet back on with Naomi's help, then walked over to the crown princess. 'Hold onto my Amulet, it will restore your strength. '
Elena weakly streatched her hand up and clasped onto the jewel, feeling a power flowing through her until she felt like she was strong enough again and she let go. 'How does it do that Primara?'
Primara shook her beautiful mane. 'Magic Elena, magic.' She turned to the girl sleeping in the bed. 'We better let her sleep, in her condition it will still take a bit for her to heal completely. There are things that magic can't heal, only she can, in time.'
'One of us should stay with her though.' Luisa insisted. 'Just to be on the safe side.'
'I'll stay.' Naomi offered. 'Gets me out of the boaring meeting with King William.'
Elena looked at Naomi suddenly, not noticing Mateo quickly slipping out of the room. 'The trade treaty! I completely forgot!'
'That's obvious.' Naomi said irritatedly. 'Now skedadle. I can look after Amelia.'
'Yes, right.' Elena picked up her scepter. 'On my way.'
Naomi rolled her eyes as they hurried out, then she looked at the sleeping girl. Gently she climbed onto the bed, and gazed into the childs face, wondering just what her story was…..